


Cute Neighborhood Cats

by Siancore



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Figaro and Alpine are Assholes, M/M, bucky Barnes has anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22386367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siancore/pseuds/Siancore
Summary: Little fluffy one-shot about gay cats, Figaro Wilson and Alpine Barnes, and their owners, who are definitely gay for one another, too.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 85





	Cute Neighborhood Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on Tumblr first, thought I had better share it here, too.

When he had more time, Bucky Barnes was definitely going to get a new printer. The one he had at home was being a pain in his ass presently, as he tried, once again, to print his missing cat flyer; the paper caught in the device again, and Bucky wanted to scream. Every second that was wasted trying to get the damn thing to work, was a second that his precious Alpine was out in the world alone. Bucky cursed once more as he yanked the paper from the printer. His whole week sucked, and the printer was making it worse. He was a nervous, anxious mess; his anxiety was exacerbated by the absence of his beloved pet.

Just then, he heard a knocking on his front door. He sighed loudly, and then stood up to answer it. Bucky’s mood lifted when he saw his very handsome neighbor, Sam Wilson standing there with _that_ adorable smile plastered across _that_ perfect face. Bucky instinctively brushed his hair back and smoothed his clothes down.

“Hi, Sam,” he said, genuinely pleased to see him.

“Hey, Bucky,” Sam replied. “Alpine got out again?”

“Yeah,” said Bucky. “How’d you know?”

“He’s in my car,” said Sam, as he turned to gesture to the vehicle. “He must’ve wandered around the corner. Found him in my backyard.”

“Oh my god, Sam, thank you so much,” said Bucky, as he followed the good-looking nurse down his garden path. “I could kiss you!”

“Let’s save the kissing for later,” said Sam, somewhat jokingly. Bucky felt a blush creep over his cheeks.

“Seriously, thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” said Sam, glancing sideways at him. “If Figaro took off, I’d want someone to bring him home, too.”

“Figaro?” said Bucky. “I didn’t realize you had a pet, as well.”

“Yeah,” said Sam with a grin. “He’s a bit of an asshole, but I love him. This is him.”

Sam extended his arm and his phone to show Bucky a picture of himself and an adorable white cat on the lock screen.

“Aww, Sam!” said Bucky, placing his hand over his heart. “He’s so cute, and I can definitely tell he’s an asshole.”

They both shared a little chuckle as they stopped in front of Sam’s car, and Bucky added, “That’s probably why Alpine keeps sneakin’ off. Must have a thing for cute assholes.”

Sam nodded his head and took in Bucky’s features; his eyes looked so clear out in the daylight.

“You think we need to sit ‘em down and give ‘em _the talk_?” Sam asked playfully.

Bucky grinned at Sam and tucked his stray hair behind his ear, before saying, “Yeah, we might have to.”

The pair stared at one another a moment; Bucky was memerized by the way Sam’s long eyelashes framed his deep, brown eyes in the prettiest way imaginable. Bucky was glad that his neighbor did not bring Alpine up to the house, but instead had Bucky walk to his car, effectively prolonging their interaction. While they lived in the same neighborhood, they didn’t get to talk a lot, or see one another that often, due to Sam’s work schedule, so it was nice when they did get to spend some time together. Bucky had a serious crush on Sam since he moved in around the corner from Bucky around three months prior. Alpine was the reason they initially met, Sam stopping to gush over the animal while on one of his runs.

“Here he is,” said Sam as he opened the door of his car and retrieved the cat carrier. He placed it on the hood and opened it. Bucky’s bright smile was worth being late for work, Sam mused.

Bucky took hold of Alpine, hugged him close, and then proceeded to scold him.

“You can’t go wanderin’ off like that,” he said to the cat. Sam thought it was adorable; thought _he_ was adorable. Bucky looked at Sam and then said, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Sam with a smile as he placed his hand to Alpine’s head; he and Bucky’s fingers brushed together slightly and neither pulled away. “You should probably give me your number.”

“Uh?” said Bucky, wondering if he had heard Sam correctly.

“Your number,” said Sam, with a tilt of his head. “Y’know, in case he runs off again and ends up at my place.”

“Yeah, of course,” said Bucky as he took Sam’s phone and typed his number in. “That’d be great. I’m pretty sure he’s gonna make his way back to your house again.”

He handed the phone back to Sam and then smiled widely when Sam said, “Can’t really fault him; the boy’s got a crush and he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do.”

xXxXx

Figaro sure was an asshole, Bucky mused as he trudged around the corner with the cat carrier in his hand and said asshole crying inside of it.

“You’re such a naughty boy,” Bucky mumbled to the cat as he walked in the direction of Sam’s house. “Makin’ your daddy worry like that. Lucky I’m such a good neighbor offering to bring you home.”

The cat meowed again.

“What?” said Bucky. “You think I’m doin’ this just to see you daddy?”

The cat let out another meow.

“I’ll have you know I’m a cat lover first and foremost,” said Bucky. “The fact that your owner is the hottest guy I’ve ever seen is an added bonus.”

Figaro made another noise.

“Whatever,” said Bucky, as if they were having an actual conversation. “Don’t judge me.”

When he finally made it to Sam’s place, he fixed his hair and smoothed down his clothes before knocking. Sam opened the door, and gifted Bucky with a smile so bright and pretty that Bucky almost forgot why he was there.

“Hey,” said Sam, before looking down to the carrier. “I appreciate you bringing him. Thanks, man.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Bucky replied. “He was sniffin’ around for Alpine again.”

Sam undid the latch on the door and took Figaro out.

“Were you hangin’ out with your boyfriend, uh?” Sam asked his cat in a sing-song voice that Bucky thought was super cute. He stroked his pet’s head and then kissed it, before turning his attention back to Bucky. “You wanna come inside for a minute and grab a drink? Beer? Coffee? Whatever you like, man.”

Bucky tucked his hair behind his ear in that adorable way that Sam liked as he said, “Yeah, thanks. Coffee sounds great.”

Sam stepped aside, placed Figaro down, and then led Bucky to the living room.

“Have a seat,” said Sam.

“Thanks,” Bucky replied sweetly, as he took in his surrounds.

“How do you want it?”

Bucky’s mind went blank at Sam’s words. He was staring, mouth agape, and cheeks flushed when he realized what his host was talking about: The coffee.

“Oh. Umm. Black, two sugars,” said Bucky, as Sam looked on with an amused kind of glint in his pretty eyes.

“Cool, I won’t be a sec,” said Sam as he walked off into the kitchen; Bucky took the opportunity to check out his ass.

It was nice to just sit and take it easy on a lazy weekend afternoon. It was nice to sit with Sam, thought Bucky, as he watched and listened to his neighbor speak. Sam was not overly animated, but there was something about the way his face lit up when he spoke that Bucky liked. Maybe Bucky just liked him too much, so every little thing he did and said seemed really nice.

Sam was sitting on the floor with a pile of cushions surrounding him, while Bucky sat on the small sofa and gazed at his crush. He wouldn’t have minded if Sam squeezed in beside him on the sofa, but thought it was considerate of him all the same. Figaro was snuggled up next to his owner; Sam absently stroked his cat’s fur as he and Bucky continued to chat.

Bucky found out that Sam had one sister and one brother; his folks were still around; he was from Harlem; and he was a medic in the Air Force before getting out and training to be a nurse. Sam found out that Bucky was from Brooklyn; he had one sister, his only family left; he was a veteran but was going to school to study social work. Both were gay; both loved cats. They had a lot in common, though Bucky was somewhat reserved, and Sam was a little more outgoing, and quite funny.

He said something that caused Bucky to laugh loudly, and Figaro to awaken. The cat stretched out near Sam, before getting to his feet, and lithely making his way to the sofa. He leapt up onto it, and then rubbed his head against Bucky’s leg. Bucky smiled and then stroked his head. Figaro purred and then climbed into Bucky’s lap where he settled in.

“He likes you,” said Sam, as he watched the exchange.

“He can probably smell Alpine on me,” Bucky said as he patted him.

“Nah, man, he likes you for you,” Sam insisted with a grin. “Can’t blame him. He’s got good taste.”

Bucky’s tummy did that thing where it felt like it was full of butterflies before he smiled shyly. His cute neighbour was flirting with him and he felt like rainbows were going to burst out of him at any second.

“You think so?” said Bucky, wishing he wasn’t so rusty at flirting himself.

“Yeah, for sure,” Sam replied, as he leaned down on his elbow and stared up at Bucky; he was so attractive that Bucky wanted to cry. “He’s got good taste like his owner.”

“He’s cute like his owner,” said Bucky, surprising himself then immediately feeling anxious; when Sam gifted him with a bright smile, he felt less nervous.

“I’m cuter,” Sam said playfully.

Bucky picked Figaro up and pretended to be examining him, before looking over at Sam.

“What d’ya think, Figaro? You think your daddy’s cuter?” Bucky asked the cat, who did not care about the courting rituals of humans at all. Bucky looked at an amused Sam, smiled at him, and then said, “Yeah, I agree. Sam’s definitely the cutest guy in this room.”

xXxXx

After his shift had ended, Sam went to his pigeonhole and retrieved his bag. He checked his phone like he normally did, hoping to see a nice text from Bucky, who had been sending him nice texts for a little over a month now. He was thoughtful like that, Sam found out. He would send pictures of things he thought would make Sam smile, like silly memes, inspirational quotes, or cat pics. Sometimes, there’d be the odd selfie of Bucky and Alpine. Those were Sam’s favorite things to receive.

As he opened his phone, he saw that there was actually a missed call from Bucky, and then a voicemail. Sam listened to the message and his heart sank.

_“Sam? It’s Bucky. I’m sorry to call you when you’re at work. I know you’re busy. I’m just – I’m freakin’ out right now. Alpine hasn’t come home for three days. I know you said to just breathe and not worry too much, but it’s been three days, Sam. Almost four. He’s never been gone this long. I can’t stop thinkin’ about what might’ve happened. I just. I don’t know what to do. I don’t –”_

That’s where the message cut out. Sam quickly returned the call. He knew Alpine helped Bucky with his anxiety, so having come up missing must have been awful for Bucky on so many levels. He answered after two rings.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, Buck. You okay over there?”

“Not really,” said Bucky. “He still hasn’t come home yet, and I’m worried. What if someone stole him? Or something awful happened to him? What if –”

“Hey, hey,” said Sam in a soothing manner. “He’s probably with Figaro somewhere. Just take it easy and _breathe_ , okay?”

“Okay,” said Bucky, as he sat down.

“My shift’s finished, I’ll be home in twenty, and then I’ll have a look for him, alright?”

“Alright,” said Bucky. “Thank you, Sam. You always make me feel better.”

“You’re welcome,” said Sam with a gentle smile that Bucky couldn’t see. “Everything’s gonna be fine, dude. Sit tight. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

…..

By the time Sam arrived, Bucky had chewed his nails all the way back. He let Sam into the house, and Sam noticed the worry etched across his pretty face. Sam stepped forward and said, “Hey, dude. You alright?”

Bucky shook his head and sighed, “I haven’t gotten any sleep since he turned up missing.”

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” Sam asked as he knit his brow.

“I didn’t wanna bother you,” said Bucky. “I know you’ve been busy at work. I didn’t wanna trouble you with my anxiety shit.”

“Hey, you can call me any time,” said Sam, stepping closer and placing both hands to Bucky’s upper arms. “You’re not botherin’ me at all, okay?”

Bucky gave him a grateful but weak smile and said, “Okay.”

“You’re shaken up, man,” Sam said, taking in Bucky’s appearance. “C’mere.”

He drew Bucky into an embrace, wrapping his strong arms around Bucky’s waist. Bucky melted into Sam, resting his head against Sam’s shoulder, as he let out a relieved breath. They stayed that way for a while, holding one another and swaying slightly, before Bucky spoke again.

“Thank you, Sam,” he whispered, as he lifted his head and inched back a little. “I needed that.”

Sam brushed his hair away from his face, smiled gently, and said, “I got you. Come on, let’s sit down.”

Sam led Bucky by the hand to the sofa, and they sat beside one another.

“Buck, I checked my backyard, and in the house, but Alpine wasn’t there,” said Sam softly. “Neither was Figaro.”

“Oh, god,” said Bucky, feeling dread rise up inside once more.

“Hey, now,” said Sam, placing a comforting hand to Bucky’s knee. “Don’t assume the worst. I’ve been leaving food out for Figaro since work’s been hectic, and it looks like it’s been eaten.”

“Okay, that’s a good sign,” said Bucky.

“It is,” said Sam. “So, I’m thinking they probably ran off together, the pair of assholes. But, not in a way that means they’re not comin’ back. They most likely wandered around the neighborhood and found a little hideaway.”

“Alright, so how do we find them?”

“Well, last week, I got a tracking collar for Figaro,” said Sam. “If Alpine’s with him, and I’m willing to bet good money he is, then we’ll find ‘em in no time.”

“Oh my god, Sam,” said Bucky with a now hopeful look on his face. “I could kiss you right now.”

Sam gave him a bright smile, and said, “Let’s save the kissing for after we find them.”

…..

As fate would have it, Alpine _was_ with Figaro. Sam was able to track his cat to a wooded area not too far away from their block. Figaro was curled up at the bottom of tall tree. He woke when Sam called to him, rushing toward his owner. Sam picked him up and checked him over.

“Is he okay?” Bucky asked as he searched the immediate area for his own cat.

Upon hearing Bucky speak, Alpine began to meow.

“He’s good,” said Sam. “But is that Alpine? Where’s that comin’ from?”

The pair glanced around as Figaro struggled to free himself from his owner’s grasp. Sam let him down, and the cat ran to the tree and started scratching at the base. Another meow was heard, and Sam looked up to find Alpine perched on a high branch.

“Buck,” said Sam as he tapped his shoulder. “There he is.”

Bucky looked to where Sam was pointing, and he let out a relieved sigh when he saw his cat.

“Alpine! What’re you doin’ up there?” said Bucky. “Get down!”

The cat stood up and tried to make his way down. He stopped when he couldn’t get a proper grip on the tree trunk.

“He’s stuck,” said Sam.

“How?” said Bucky. “I thought that wasn’t a real thing, just somethin’ they do in movies?”

“Oh, it’s a thing,” said Sam. “Cats are great at climbing up, not so much with gettin’ down. Plus, this tree is tall. Poor little guy’s probably scared.”

“Aww, Alpine, it’s okay, sweetheart,” said Bucky as he stepped closer to the tree and placed his hand to it. “Daddy’ll get you down. Shit, Sam, what am I gonna do? Can you give me a leg-up? I ain’t much of a climber, but I can’t leave him like that. My poor baby.”

“Wait here,” said Sam. “I’ll be right back.”

…..

Bucky sat at the base of tree, holding Figaro and talking to Alpine. Ten minutes later, Sam came back with a ladder and Figaro’s cat carrier. Bucky scrambled to his feet and greeted Sam with a huge smile. Sam returned the grin, and then leaned the ladder against the tree.

“Put him in his carrier,” said Sam. “And I’ll get Alpine.”

“You’re the best,” Bucky gushed as he secured Figaro.

He then watched as Sam climbed the ladder and reached out to get Alpine. Alpine was a little skittish and wouldn’t go to Sam at first. Sam made kissy noises at him and called his name. After a while, the cat warmed up to him and approached slowly. He sniffed Sam’s hand and then inched closer, close enough for Sam to securely grasp him, and make his way back down the ladder.

Bucky rushed over and took Alpine from Sam. The cat snuggled against his owner and Bucky held him tight.

“You had me so worried, you asshole,” said Bucky as he held Alpine firmly to his chest.

Sam watched them with a smile on his face. When Bucky’s gaze met his, Sam offered him a little nod of his head. Before he could say something reaffirming to him, Bucky closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to Sam’s.

After the initial surprise passed, Sam cupped Bucky’s face and kissed him back just as eagerly. Their first kiss was the nicest that either had ever had. The pair only broke apart when Alpine began to make a fuss. Sam and Bucky drew away timidly, neither wanting to end the contact now that they had finally shared such an intimate moment.

They offered each other a soft smile before Sam asked, “What was that for?”

Bucky bit his lip and tucked his hair behind his ear, before replying, “You said to save the kissing for after we found them; and we found them, so I thought – was that alright? You didn’t mind, did you? I’m sorry if you did, I just –”

“Buck, hey, it’s fine, dude,” said Sam with a little chuckle. “I didn’t mind at all. So, let’s get these assholes home and make sure they’re fed, and then we can keep kissing if you want. I mean, only if you want to.”

Bucky beamed at Sam and said, “Oh, I definitely want to.”

…..

Alpine and Figaro snoozed together on the mess of cushions strewn about Sam’s floor. Sam sat on the sofa with his feet on the coffee table and Bucky’s head resting in his lap. Sam’s ran his fingers through Bucky’s hair as he let out a contented sigh.

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Figaro.”

“What about him?”

“Do you think he waited there with Alpine the whole time he was stuck?” asked Bucky, shifting so he could look up at Sam. “That’d be romantic, right?”

“Yeah,” said Sam with a little laugh. “It would. I mean, I could check the tracker app for you.”

“No, it’s okay,” said Bucky. “I’d like to think he waited.”

Sam stroked Bucky’s face and said, “I think he did.”

“He’s a lot like you,” said Bucky with adoration for Sam etched across his face. “A good guy.”

“Aww, thanks, Buck,” Sam replied with a grin. “I think you’re great, too.”

Bucky shifted and sat up. He leaned against the back of the sofa and took hold of Sam’s hand.

“I’d wait with you, y’know?” Bucky said in earnest. “If you were stuck up a tree.”

They both looked at one another and then burst out into laughter.

“What makes you think I’d be the one to get stuck doin’ something dumb?” asked Sam playfully.

“You’re right,” said Bucky. “I’d definitely be the one crying up a tree for three days.”

Sam lifted his hand and tucked Bucky’s hair behind his ear before he leaned in and kissed him softly.

“Yeah, well, just make sure you call me if you’re ever stuck anywhere, with anything,” said Sam as he searched the depths of Bucky’s eyes. “Cat related or otherwise. I meant it when I said I got you. You know that, right?”

“I know,” said Bucky before kissing Sam again. “I got you, too.”


End file.
